In addition to the shared eye-rolls at colleagues, alternating coffee runs and encouraging each other to buy ridiculously expensive lunches, work friends are apparently one of the most crucial factors to overall success and happiness in your job. You and your "work wife" are for life, and it turns out that you two could actually be onto something career-boosting.

Boosting everything from general health and wellbeing, to day-to-day productivity and positivity, studies have shown that those of us with strong friendships in the workplace will actually perform better overall.

A 2014 report from Gallup showed that, while 70% of employees are disengaged from their work (it's at an all time low), work satisfaction is massively boosted if great friendships are in place.

Those with a best friend in the workplace were found to be seven times more likely to engage properly with tasks and projects, encouraging them to fulfill their potential and manifesting in much better results.

Apparently it's all down to the fact that we share an "in it together" mentality, with a series of studies from workforce intelligence company Evolv finding that friendships among a team can massively increase productivity.

"It is this simple," says Dr Michael Houseman, Director of Analytics. "Employees referred by their friends are less likely to quit and are more productive; employees who are trained in a generally 'friendly' culture stay twice as long; and if you have friends at work, you are more likely to stay at that job."

If you need any more encouragement to chat for an extra five minutes in the kitchen, international author and speaker on happiness at work, Alexander Kjerulf agrees.

"Socialising with your coworkers is essential for your career," he states in a Forbes report.

"If you're not able to relate to your coworkers as human beings and build positive relationships, your career will suffer. Socializing and getting to know them as people will help you to communicate better, trust each other more and work better together.

"Also, employees who have positive workplace relationships are happier at work (in fact, good workplace relationships are one of the most important sources of workplace happiness) and we know that people who are happy at work are more productive, more creative and more successful overall."